UKSIC reaffirms need for robust Online Safety Bill following IICSA report
The UK Safer Internet Centre has reaffirmed the need for a robust and clear Online Safety Bill following the findings of a report from the Independent Inquiry of Child Sexual Abuse.
The Inquiry, which aimed to understand historic failings and to better protect children from sexual abuse across England and Wales, incorporated 15 investigations.
It was published this week (20 October 2022) having began in 2015.
An UKSIC spokesperson said: “This report from IICSA is one we welcome and one that echoes many of the concerns we have as a partnership. We are very supportive of the recommendations that address the pitfalls around the identification and reporting of child sexual abuse whilst we believe a renewed focus on victims is something that is desperately needed.
“The expertise we have at our disposal on these lifechanging matters, through Childnet, Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and SWGfl, ensures we are consistently ready, willing and able to support in providing a safer internet, and by extension a safer world, for our children. This report emphasises the reality that these issues aren’t going away and are a constant scourge in our society. There is plenty of work still to be done and we hope this report helps in moving forward with preventative measures.
“However, we can’t do this without government support and we’re calling on people to remember about the vulnerable children who are being negatively impacted and left behind by the ongoing uncertainty in Westminster – with a robust and clear Online Safety Bill still to be signed off. We cannot allow their voices to be drowned out by the noise any longer.”